I've been on Effexor for 5 years, originally prescribed for post-partem depression. I don't think they help the pain, but they do keep my mood more level. However, I've recently tried to get off of them and it is IMPOSSIBLE to get off of them. Keep that in mind before you start taking them. You can't just stop taking them or even take 1/2 without some major side effects.View Thread

If you were recently diagnosed, I'm sure you haven't tried all the meds that can help. What have you tried, and for how long? Have you tried any of the other things you can do, like heating pads, hot baths, muscle rub (ben gay) etc? It took about 2 years for me to find what works, don't give up!!!!View Thread

Another thing I like that's very easy.... I'm a vegetarian, and I buy the big bags of frozen 'stir fry' veggies. Put a little olive oil in a skillet, stir fry the veggies, and add a little soy sauce or make a mix of corn starch, water, sugar and soy sauce, add it to the veggies when they're almost done, and toss. Add to minute rice. Delish.... View Thread

You're welcome. My kids are 5, twins, a boy and a girl. If it weren't for them I'd probably be on the couch all day, every day, tightening up and getting worse and worse. For pain I take tramadol, soma, and I give myself injections of torodol about every 4 weeks. Sometimes I can keep the pain under control. Right now it is not. I also use heat, ben gay, jacuzzi soaks, and yoga. I've been REALLY tired for awhile now, so I've slacked off on the yoga. I need to get back into it, because it really does help with the pain.

Clothing is one thing that really bothers me, and I also have burning, tingling nerve pain that is terrible. I feel itchy all the time, like bugs are crawling on me too. And I get very confused (fibro fog) a lot too. It makes me feel stupid but I can't help it.

For research on the validity of fibro, google the above websites I provided and you'll find some. The mayo clinic link is good too.

After going to a doctor that basically blew me off, I started going to Dr. P (the expert in this group), who also suffers from fibro. He's one of the best fibro Dr's in the country, so I'm very lucky to live in the same state. I travel 2 1/2 hours one way to see him, but my family lives in the area so I just stay with my mom when I have appts with him. I live in a rural, backward area, and could not find anyone to help me here.

It's still a constant battle for MANY people, but luckily the medical community has come a long way in research and many doctors are now realizing that it's real. They think if they don't know what causes it, and can't cure it, we must be crazy. To me, that just shows the level of arrogance in doctors is pretty high.

There are many theories as to what causes it, but I think it's all the preservatives, pesticides, toxins that we injest daily from what we eat. Combine that with a trauma to the body (ie pregnancy, stress, accidents, etc) and our body just flips out. I'm not really confident there will ever be a cure, but that would be a miracle.View Thread

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